Hi! My guinea pig has been rapidly losing weight, and the vet said that she needs to gain weight. As far as I can tell, she's been eating normally. What are the best ways to help her gain weight without hurting the other guinea pig in the hutch? (They share everything from a carrot to a food bowl).
Hi and welcome
Has your vet said what she is suffering from? Just how piggy savvy is he? Have you got any medication?
Is the weight gain sudden, or has it gone on for a while? Is your guinea pig still eating normally or not? How old is she? Is she an indoors guinea pig or an outdoors one?
The problem is that your guinea pigs won't be able to put on any weight unless the underlying problem is addressed. It usually boils down to either pain somewhere (a scan or x-ray may be needed if palpation has not come up with anything) or the physical inability to process food (overgrown back teeth, swallowing problems etc.) that is at the bottom of most weight loss issues, but it can be a wider range of causes.
Please start weighing your guinea pig daily at the same time in the feeding cycle instead of the regular weekly weigh-in, so you can make sure that your guinea pig is getting enough food to at least hold her weight until the problem can be found and addressed.
Hay is often the first food group that is dropped. It should make up to 80% of daily food intake and it is the one food group that you cannot control. Guinea pigs need lots of fibre to keep their guts going and from slowing down.
Please always step in with offering syringe feed and water as soon as you notice any weight loss over 50g/2 oz - that is also when you need to see a vet. Here is our detailed step-by-step guide that tells you everything from how to prep your syringe and your hand feed (including what you can do with what you have got at home), how to, how much and how often to feed. The guide also has got information on suitable recovery formula brands that are available worldwide. The first step of stabilising the weight and regaining it is to make sure that your guinea pig is getting enough food of the right sort. Please take the time to carefully read through the guide. It can make all the difference for your guinea pig.
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide
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